Apparatus for making metallic coatings.



APPLlCATlON FILED JUNEZ, 1914- 1,262,134.

G. STOLLE.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING METALLIC COATINGS.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918-.

Fig.1

Anew 70R ozone stem, or KIEL, e.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING METALLIC COATINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application fled June 2, 1914. Serial No. 842,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnono s'ronm, a citizen of, the German Empire,residing at Kiel, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have inventedcertain new-and useful Irfiprovements in Apparatus for Making etallicCoatings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In British Patent No. 23289/1913 a process for making metal coatings bymeans of a compressed gaseous medium is described, in which the metalsin a wholly or partially volatilized condition are blown against thearticle to be coated. The object of the volatilization is to obtain sucha fine distribution of the metal as cannot be obtained by the sprayingmethod with any other means, and also to utilize the kinetic energy ofthe vapor in order to produce a brazing or welding of the metalparticles with one another and with the foundation.

Now this invention has for its object an apparatus for practising afurther development of this process with the object of substantiallylowering the point at which the molten metal volatilizes, and enablingcoatings to is made on easily inflammable articles or articles whichsufi'er by the action of heat.

The improved process is firstly based on the discovery that thevolatilization point of the metal is substantially lowered if thevolatilization of the metal is done in a vacuum chamber: and further inthe improved process, use is made of the discovery that volati lizedmetals which are blown through a jet of gas at ordinary temperature,which may be chemically inert or neutral, and thereby cooled, whencooling down to metal dust lose nothing of their fine distribution andtherefore when blown simultaneously against a foundation or article givea coating of such fineness as can never be attained with sprayed moltenmetals.

In carrying out the process, the metal vapor from the volatilizingchamber is drawn through a suction nozzle which acts as an injector andis operated with a omressed gaseous medium, whereby a vac mm is formedin the volatilizing chamber and; the current of gas also produces acooling ofthe 'volatilized. metal particles and the re ult nt metal dustis thrown on to the body which is to be coated or metalized. I

Examples of construction of the necessary apparatus for carrying out theimproved process are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section. of an apparatus in which the metal is introducedin a molten condition into the volatilizin chamber;

Fig. 2, a form of construction of the apparatus in which the metalreaches the vol atilizin chamber in a bar form, and is melted 1n anelectric arc;

Fi 3 shows another melting device for thls orm of construction in whichthe metal, in rod form, is melted, vaporized and whirled about by aplurality of oxyhydrogen flames or the like.

Fig. 4 shows an apparatus for pushing forward the metal bar in theapparatus illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the form of construction of the apparatus according to Fig. 1, 1 is amolten metal holder filled with the molten metal; this container and theother parts of the apparatus are disposed within a casing 2. A capillarytube 3 lined with fireclay or the like leads from the vessel 1 to avolatilizer 4 which is also provided with a lining 5 of fireproofmaterial, and is conically formed at the end 6. which when in operationfaces the work W. The volatilizing nozzle 7 is inserted in this end insuch manner that it projects somewhat beyond the front end of the cone6. A conical suction nozzle 8 is arranged at the same end to which thecompressed gas is supplied through a pipe 10 provided with a cock 9.Beneath the volatilizer 4, are provided heating means 11 consisting ofany known arrangement to which the combustible flows through a pipe 12.

When working with the apparatus. the heater 11 is first set inoperation, and the gases therefrom keep the metal in a molten conditioninthe container 1. A thin jet of molten material is forced through thecapillary tube 3 into the. vaporizer 4 where the metal, under the actionof the heating apparatus, is heated so far that vapor is ormed. Whencompressed gas is admitted through the pipe 10 into the suction nozzle8, a vacuum is formed, by reason of the escape of a gas blast flame.

of gas, in front of the mouth of the volatilizer nozzle 7, which vacuumdraws the metal vapor from the volatilizer 4, and also lowers thevolatilization point of the molten metal. The escaping metal ya or iscooled by the action of the compresse as and can be condensed to metaldust, an simultaneously thrown against the work W on wh1ch itconsequently forms'a dense coating of great permanency.

The capillary pig? 3 has a continuation which is shown in ig. 1 andindicated by 3. This pipe acts as a siphon, and the molten metal isdrawn into the volatilizer by the vacuum formed in front of thevolatilizer nozzle 7.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 2, the volatilizer 13 isconstructed in the front end 14 of a holder 15 provided with a handle30. At the front end of the volatilizer 13 a volatilizing 'nozzle 16 isarranged which projects beyond the suction nozzle 17 in similar mannerto what was the case in Fig. 1. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2,arclight carbons 21 and 22 serve for melting the metal and are carriedby tubular parts 19 and 20 and project into the chamber 13 and betweenthem is arranged .the solid metal 23 in the form of a bar, which iscarried in an axial perforation 24 of the holder15 and passes through anaperture 25 in the rear part of the volatilizer 13.

A pipe 26 with a cock 27 is connected with the suction nozzle 17, fromwhich pipe a branch pipe 29 with a second arm 28 can also be connectedwith the nozzle 17 for the purpose of cooling the front end 14.

In using the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, an arc is formed between thecarbons 21 and 22, and the metal bar 23 is slowly pushed forward, whenthe metal is converted into the form of vapor which is then drawnthrough the suction nozzle 17, and blown against the work W.

In the form of construction according to Fig. 2, instead of electricmelting, a device may also be employed for melting by means This isshown more particularly in Fig. 3. Here, gas nozzles 34. 35 and 36, 37are arranged concentrically one in another and are coaxial with theperforation 31 of the guide 32 of the metal bar 33, and the blast flamesof the nozzles act successively on the metal; theinner nozzles 34. 35serve for melting the metal and volatilizing the molten metal, while theouter nozzles 36, 37 produce a further increase in the heat of themolten metal dust particles which are blown against the work in adisintegrated condition corresponding to this heat with or without theassistance of a compressed gaseeous medium.

This arrangement has for its object to convey the metal which is to beapplied by means of a separate apparatus through two sets of flameswhich inc ose one another, and act successively, and thus first to meltand if desired to disinte rate the metal into the smallest units and ten to bring it into the hottest zone of another gas blast flame in whichit is subjected to a further increase of heat causing volatilizationbefore it is blown against the work.

According to the invention the bar shaped body is fed by some outsidemeans for instance a clock work 38 which is provided in the usual mannerwith a fly wing governor 39. In order to efiect the feeding of the wireor metal rod 23 quicker or more slowly correspondingly with the pressureof the projecting gases, there is provided a brake stop 41 which pressesupon the governor shaft 40 and is fixed to a lever 45 operating underthe action of a spring 44 and which therefore is ressed constantlagainst the shaft 40 or a disk on that sha t by the action of thespring. At the other end of the lever there is provided a piston 46which moves in a branch 42 of the pressure gas feed pipe 43 and is thusacted upon by the compressed gas. When the gas pressure increases therewill be, by an overcoming of pressure of the spring, a release of thepressure on the governor shaft and the feeding of the wire will takeplace quicker than when the gas pressure is low; The current ofcompressed gas may of course also operate a resistance governor in anelectrometor, if such be employed instead of a clockwork, and thusregulate the speed at which the bar is pushed forward. By employing anoutside operating means to which any desired strength may be given, thearrangement is made entirely, independent of the strength of thecompressed gas. This is preferably only utilized for producing aregulation of the outside operating means.

The process which may be carried out by this apparatus is described andclaimed in my U. S. Letters Patent 1,221,104, Apr. 3, 1917, and ananalogous process in my application Serial Number 855,691, filed Aug.7,1914.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for making metal coatings comprising a volatilizer, meansto supply metal thereto, a nozzle, means to supply compressed inert gasto said nozzle, and means to supply gaseous metal to the low pressurezone of the nozzle.

2. Apparatus for making metal coatings comprising a vaporizer, acontainer for molten metal, .a pipe leading from the container to thevaporizer, a nozzle, means to supply compressed gas to the nozzle, andmeans to supply metallic vapor to the low pressure zone of the nozzle.

3. Apparatus for making metal coatings 10 to the vaporizer, a nozzle,means to supply compressed gas to the nozzle, and meansto supplymetallic vapor to the low pressure zone of the nozzle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORG STOLLE.

' Witnesses:

JULrUs RGPKE, KARL FRIEDRICK FRENTZEL.

